Even though A Minecraft Movie is mostly targeted towards children, it includes an easy-to-miss reference to a classic Steven Spielberg film from the 1970s. Since I’m not part of the film’s target audience, I didn’t necessarily enjoy the long-awaited movie based on the popular video game. However, I still appreciate all the Easter eggs included in A Minecraft Movie. The film includes a lot of references to both the video game it’s based on, as well as other films. Because of this, I was still able to find some enjoyment in A Minecraft Movie.
Ever since its release, reviews for A Minecraft Movie have been quite mixed, with Screen Rant’s own Mae Abdulbaki giving it a score of 4 out of 10. This review and many others further prove that the film was mostly made for children. However, A Minecraft Movie surprisingly includes a reference to one of Steven Spielberg’s best movies, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. This is interesting and something that’s definitely worth exploring, as a lot of A Minecraft Movie’s target audience has probably never seen Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
A Minecraft Movie Includes A Subtle Nod To Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
Mashed Potatoes Are Important In Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
A Minecraft Movie begins with Steve trying to explore a mine as a child. However, an old miner refuses to let him into the mine. Therefore, Steve proceeds to live a pretty normal life. Many, many years later, Steve is feeling unfulfilled while eating lunch at his office job when he suddenly remembers the mine. This leads to him returning to the mine and finding the portal which leads him to the Overworld. Interestingly, Steve’s lunch includes mashed potatoes, which, as pointed out on Reddit, is a reference to a popular scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
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Every Creature & Mob In A Minecraft Movie, Explained
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The main character in Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Roy, sees a UFO quite early into the film. After this encounter, Roy becomes obsessed with learning more about the UFO and aliens. This completely takes over his life, to the point where he is basically neglecting his entire family. One night, while eating dinner with his family, Roy begins forming a unique-looking mountain with his mashed potatoes. This obviously worries his wife and children, but it makes him realize he has to go to Wyoming to find this mountain and meet the aliens.
Most Of A Minecraft Movie’s Viewers Will Never Notice This Close Encounters Reference
It’s Hard To Catch All Of A Minecraft Movie’s References
In both A Minecraft Movie and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the main characters have realizations and remember important locations while eating mashed potatoes. Therefore, it’s pretty obvious that A Minecraft Movie purposefully references Spielberg’s classic movie by including mashed potatoes in Steve’s lunch. This is definitely one of the most clever references in A Minecraft Movie, but most of the film’s target audience likely didn’t notice it.
It’s also possible that a lot of the parents who brought their children to see A Minecraft Movie also haven’t seen Spielberg’s sci-fi film.
Since A Minecraft Movie is geared towards children and young adults, it’s likely that a lot of them have never even seen Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It’s also possible that a lot of the parents who brought their children to see A Minecraft Movie also haven’t seen Spielberg’s sci-fi film. Some of the film’s references to the game and even to other movies, such as Napoleon Dynamite, which was also helmed by A Minecraft Movie’s director, are definitely easier to catch. Therefore, it’s understandable that a lot of viewers missed this Close Encounters of the Third Kind reference.
A Minecraft Movie Referencing Close Encounters Of The Third Kind Is Still Great
This Will Bring More Awareness To Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
Even though this Close Encounters of the Third Kind reference is easy to miss, its inclusion is still great since it could bring more awareness to one of Spielberg’s best movies. Now that A Minecraft Movie is available on digital, perhaps more viewers will notice this clever reference. This could lead to younger audiences watching a classic movie like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which is definitely an inspiring film. Therefore, the inclusion of mashed potatoes in Steve’s lunch definitely makes for one of the best Easter eggs in A Minecraft Movie.
Source: Reddit
A Minecraft Movie
4/10
- Release Date
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April 4, 2025
- Runtime
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101 minutes
- Director
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Jared Hess
